ESA Calibration error

[Nick Evans]

Hello all,

Whe I try and run teh ESA calibration on my 2009 1200RT I get an error message "invalid response received from vehicle" and teh calibration does not take place. Any thoughts? The shock has just been rebuilt and I know the preload motor works because I can drive it by connecting direct to the battery. I suspect a sensor failure somewhere but I dont know what to test.

[WayneC]

A little more detail is needed to be able to assist

1/ GS911 Type, (WiFi or Yellow)
2/ Type of connection being used (USB or WiFi Web)
3/ Version Info, (firmware if WiFi & PC App Version if using PC App)
4/ PC Type (Win7 or 10)

[Nick Evans]

Morning Wayne,

I am using a WiFi  GS-911, in infrasturcture mode on a WiFi network. Dont know the firmware version without firing it up but I update when it tells me to. To be clear I think this may be a bike fault rather than the 911, I ran the windscreen cal with no issues and I have run the fuel strip cal in the past.

Do you think running the test from a PC would make a difference?

Cheers

[WayneC]

Nick, OK understood, sounds like you have it set up well, there have been some updates recently so it would be best to check & save an autoscan which will tell the version etc. Yes it would be worth doing a check with PC App via either USB or TCP/IP to see if the PC App gives a different result

[Nick Evans]

Hi Wayne,

Progress! Firstly can I say thanks for the quick replies, it is very refreshing in this day and age. So....

Firstly I fired up the terminal on my PC, which downloaded the latest version of same, v2004.2. I plugged the interface in and the new software said that the interface was up to date already.

Fired the bike up and used the PC to look at the bike; I see on the PC I can run the calibration on the front and rear independently, so I did. The good news, the shock I have just put back in (following a rebuild by Firefox Racing) was succesfully calibrated and I can see the preload changing when I ask it to. When I try to calibrate the front shock I get the following message "Negative response from controller: conditions not correct or incorrect sequence of commands". Looking at the front shock it looks like the cable is awfully tight so I am wondering if there is a break in it, I will have to get the tank off and have a look. It could also be that the rebound motor is kaput. Thanks for taking the time, great piece of kit.

[WayneC]

OK, understood assuming by download of 2004.2 you mean downloaded & installed & are now using the PC App ?

It seems the response using the new PC App is giving a different result, while you should check the wiring, it would not be the first time tight wiring has stretched & a wire broke internally,  it would also be worthwhile lodging a support ticket with Hexcode https://www.hexcode.co.za/contact-us-1

One aspect of the new web interface is to ensure you select the right electrical system type for your bike, dont be like me & select the wrong one, as I did recently when working in a hurry & received the "invalid response received from vehicle" message 

[Nick Evans]

Another update. I had the bike apart this weekend to look at the cable for the front shock. Metering the appropriate terminals I got 40.4 ohms on both circuits; I dont know if this is correct but seeing the same resistance on 2 circuits leads me to believe there is continuity via the stepper motor coils, so they may well be OK. I swapped in another ZFE unit to try and eliminate something else; these did indeed mean the parking lights worked as they were supposed to , however when I went to run the ESA calibration on the "new" ZFE i got a message telling me the bike does not have ESA. When I ran the autoscan it said that it did; I assume there is something with the ZFE which means that if it cant "see" the ESA units then it assumes they are nto there, whereas the old ZFE has seen ESA in the past so it knows it should be there. Maybe. Anyhoo the old ZFE is back in with no ill effects and I am becoming expert in removing the fuel tank (45 minutes with no proper bench or garage, just stood out on the drive).

[WayneC]

My understanding is replacing the ZFE would require a replacement process in the BMW Dealer ISTA system to integrate it into the bike

[Jughead]

Do you have preload on the front?  My experience (with SA models) is that there is no calibratable (is that a word) preload on the front of the RT.  GS and GSA, yes.  RT not.  Only the rear has preload that can be calibrated.

[Nick Evans]

No preload but there is variable rebound. When I run the calibration from a PC you can do the front and back seperately; the front shows motor positions 0 ,0, whereas the rear has proper values. I ma not sure if the preload is changing on the button; if it is I am not noticing it. I had heard (somewhere) that when the ignition is switched on there is supposed to be some sort of noise from the preload motors self testing, I dont know if I have ever heard it.

[Jughead]

The good news, the shock I have just put back in (following a rebuild by Firefox Racing) was succesfully calibrated and I can see the preload changing when I ask it to. When I try to calibrate the front shock I get the following message "Negative response from controller: conditions not correct or incorrect sequence of commands".

According to your post above, everything is working as it should.  The calibration as I understand it is not for the rebound.  Calibration sets up the preload only.

If you can calibrate the rear preload, then it is working.  If you cannot calibrate the front preload, maybe that is because you do not have preload in the front.